Electrical submersible well pumps (ESP) are often used to pump liquids from hydrocarbon producing wells. A typical ESP includes a pump driven by an electrical motor. Production tubing, which comprises pipes having threaded ends secured together, supports the ESP in most installations. The pump normally pumps well fluid into the production tubing. A power cable extends alongside the production tubing to the motor for supplying power.
The power cable may have on a lower end a splice that connects it to a motor lead. The motor lead extends alongside the ESP and has a motor connector or pothead on its lower end that connects to an upper end of the motor to supply power. The motor lead may have three conductors bundled together, one for each phase of power being supplied. Alternately, the motor lead may comprise three separate metal tubes, each containing one of the power conductors, and each having a connector on the lower end.
A variety of motor connectors are known. In many types, the seal arrangement for the power conductors is elastomeric. Metal-to-metal sealing is known generally for downhole electrical devices to have a longer lasting life and the ability to withstand higher temperatures.